Initially, our current project was a mission to uncover evidence of the Cilician pirates that were famed to have been based in Rough Cilicia, the region of Turkey on which the site of Antiocheia ad Kragos was formed. According to history, some 10,000 pirates plagued the Mediterranean during the Helenistic period. The task of confirming this historical account proved difficult however, because the pirates are not likely to leave significant archeaological remains.

The project then morphed into a study of region, specifically of the ancient Roman city of Antiocheia ad Kragos. The city is the namesake of a city planner who was given money to build the city in around 1000 AD. The temple which we are excavating and plan to rebuild is circa 3000 AD. The city flourished due to the natural defense advantages of the mountainous terrain, the location near sea for the Roman navy, and the local timber industry.

During a site tour at the beginning of our last work day of the week, we saw how much "our" city had to offer. The city boasted a thoroughfare bordered with colonnades leading to the city gates, an agora, baths, many churches (pictured below), various tomb locations, and (of course) a temple dedicated to an emporer with an affinity for the Roman god Appollo. My personal thoughts are that I am very proud of the site, and I hope that it will someday be excavated for all to enjoy.
The next day, all students and professors (except the absent Dr. Erdogmus) took a day trip to the ancient city of Perge, a tourist site in Antalya. We paid 15 TL to see view the largest excavated (en progresse) site that I have seen, and it was certainly worth the lira. My favorite part of the site (although I could easily expound on all of the attractions that the city holds) was the main thouroughfare (pictured below), which followed a water cannal leading to a statue of the Roman god of the Kestros River.
I also enjoyed seeing the excavation and reconstruction work. We saw evidence of work similar to our own, although on a more grand scale. Evidence includes: block fields, rebuilt walls with numbered blocks, columns put back together with metal reenforcing bars, and gaisons stacked on friezes stacked on architraves. The work is extensive and very impressive.